Miami Dolphins In Depth

Preseason's second depth chart is out (yawn)

I kindly urge you to take the following with the proverbial grain of salt:

The Dolphins just released their second depth chart of the preseason. Matt Moore is listed as the starting quarterback with Ryan Tannehill second.

That does not mean Moore will start Friday night against Carolina in the second preseason game. It means he's simply the first-team guy right now. The Dolphins practice Tuesday and Wednesday and things can change before Friday.

The depth chart:

2012 MIAMI DOLPHINS TENTATIVE DEPTH CHART bASED OFF LAST PRESEASON GAME

OFFENSE

WR 19 Legedu Naanee 11 Julius Pruit 83 Jeff Fuller 86 Rishard Mathews

16 B.J. Cunningham 81 Chris Hogan

*10 Clyde Gates

LT 77 Jake Long 76 Lydon Murtha *69 Ray Feinga

60 Will Yeatman

LG 68 Richie Incognito 65 Erich Steinbach 63 Chandler Burden

C 51 Mike Pouncey 64 Josh Samuda 62 Ryan Cook

RG 73 Aris Hicks 75 Nate Garner 74 John Jerry

RT 71 Jonathan Marin 67 Andrew McDonald 61 Will Barker

TE 80 Anthony Fasano 42 Charles Clay 88 Jeron Mastrud 84 Michael Egnew

87 Les Brown

WR 15 Davone Bess 14 Marlon Moore 18 Roberto Wallace *82 Brian Hartline

QB 8 Mat Moore 17 Ryan Tannehill 7 Pat Devlin *9 David Garrard

FB 41 Jorvorskie Lane 6 Ryan Mahaffey 35 Jerome Messam

RB 22 Reggie Bush 33 Daniel Thomas 23 Steve Slaton 44 Lamar Miller

34 Marcus Thigpen

46 Jonas Gray

DEFENSE

LE 98 Jared Odrick 79 Derrick Shelby 70 Jarrell Root

DT 94 Randy Starks 78 Tony McDaniel 66 Chas Alecxih

DT 96 Paul Soliai 97 Kheeston Randall 95 IsaakoAaitui 90 Ryan Baker

RE 91 Cameron Wake 50 Olivier Vernon 52 Jamaal Westerman 72 Jacquies Smith

LB 56 Kevin Burnet 59 Gary Guyton 49 Jonathan Freeny 48 Shelly Lyons

LB 58 Karlos Dansby 53 Ausin Spitler 45 Cameron Collins

LB 55 Koa Misi 93 Jason Trusnik 57 Josh Kaddu

CB 24 Sean Smith 28 Nolan Carroll 25 Jonathan Wade 47 Trenton Hughes

32 Marcus Brown

CB 31 Richard Marshall 21 Vontae Davis 36 Quinten Lawrence 38 Kevyn Scot

43 Vincent Agnew

S 30 Chris Clemons 27 Jimmy Wilson 26 Tyrell Johnson *37 Kelcie McCray

S 20 Reshad Jones 29 Tyrone Culver 40 Anderson Russell

SPECIALISTS

P 2 Brandon Fields

K 5 Dan Carpenter

KO 5 Dan Carpenter

H 2 Brandon Fields

KOR 34 Marcus Thigpen 44 Lamar Miller 23 Steve Slaton *10 Clyde Gates

PR 15 Davone Bess 86 Rishard Mathews *34 Marcus Thigpen *10 Clyde Gates

LS 92 John Denney

2012 Rookies Underlined

*Did not dress last week

Players split on Johnson release but Philbin is right

Let's address the drama first: Yes, as I reported on NFL-AM and the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN2 this morning, there is a contingent of Dolphins players that are unhappy Chad Johnson was cut. They believe it unfair and some, specifically Karlos Dansby, have said as much publicly.

But I must also report there are multiple players that are either quite happy or ambivalent about the move. "This is a solid lockerroom we don't need no clowns here," was a text I got from one such player early this morning.

So I wish to convey a fair view of what the lockerroom is feeling. It's not everyone disagreeing with coach Joe Philbin's decision and certainly not everyone signing off on it either.

And having said that, I agree with the group that believes getting rid of Johnson was best. I agree with Joe Philbin's decision. I think it will ultimately be in the best interest of the team. I believe it will limit the amount of unwanted attention that shines on the Dolphins.

Moreover, I believe the Dolphins didn't necessarily lose a dynamic playmaker when they cut Johnson. They cut a guy who was probably going to play OK. But special? A Pro Bowl player? Nope.

Philbin is doing the right thing and for the right reason. Look, Johnson's bizarre behavior weighed against his importance to the team simply didn't balance out. He wasn't a fit. And Philbin said as much.

"It was more a body evidence from June 11th forward," Philbin said. "When he came in June 11th we sat down and we talked and we were very clear, I was very clear as to the expectations of the program. It just didn't work out. It's more about the fit. In my gut I didn't think the fit was going to be beneficial to either party whether it be in the short-term or longterm. That's what it was all about. It wasn't one specific thing. It just wasn't going to work."

This coach, new and untested as he is, deserves the benefit of putting on his roster the players he thinks fit. Remember, it's not always about the best 53 players but the right 53 players that makes winners.

Having said that, this coach is also under the gun now. He and his staff were hired because owner Stephen Ross believed he could do a better job of developing players than, say, Tony Sparano and his staff. This coach is supposed to be able to take young players and get them to play like the young guys played in Green Bay the past few years.

So now he's got to get that done. He has to milk every last ounce of production from Roberto Wallace and Marlon Moore and B.J. Cunningham and Rishard Matthews and Julius Pruitt and Jeff Fuller and all the other young receivers.

He was hired to make tough calls. He made a tough call on Johnson. He was hired to develop players. Well ... develop the young receivers.

Philbin explains release of Chad Johnson

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin knew the Chad Johnson release would be first on the media's list of questions this morning so he tried to blunt those questions as well as he could by opening his press conference with a statement.

This is that prepared statement the coach read before the media:

"I'd like to address the roster move we made last night. As with any type of these decisions, it was not an easy one. It was not reactive. Nor was it based on one single incident. In making these decisions we base our evaluations on a set of criteria that supports our organizational goals and includes the player's performance both on and off the field.

"Essentially, we take into account the overall body of evidence to determine whether an individual is the right fit for this organization, and more specifically, this football team. That's how we made previous decisions and will continue to do so moving forward. Now I'd like to focus on moving ahead and I'll take any questions about those players who were out on the field today." 

Chad Johnson's release puts a lot of pressure on ...

The Dolphins personnel department: The front office took a gamble on Chad Johnson and lost. But in doing so it created something of a "progress stopper" that its very philosophy says to avoid. Johnson took at minimum 300 repetitions with the starting offense since camp opened. I'm sure the Dolphins wish those now wasted reps had gone to someone that will actually be on the team. The Johnson signing also gave the personnel department a feeling of false security. It could flirt with but not actually sign Braylon Edwards because the desperation factor wasn't there. Instead of Edwards the personnel department signed guard Eric Steinbach instead. Edwards caught two passes for 51 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown in his Seattle Seahawks debut. Steinbach is working with the second unit at left guard. And, of course, Johnson is unemployed right now.

Brian Hartline: If Johnson goes out and Hartline comes in, I see no drop-off for the Dolphins. Hartline, when healthy, can be more of a downfield threat than Johnson at this stage in his career and his hands are more dependable. The problem is Hartline hasn't been healthy. He's been nursing a calf injury since training camp began and hasn't practiced but once or twice as a result. The Dolphins need him. Badly. Immediately.

[Morning update: Hartline is not practicing today. Again.]

Roberto Wallace: He had a fine game in the preseason opener Friday night. He was rewarded by running with the first team offense on Sunday. This is his opportunity to shine. And his opportunity to disappoint. It is a two-edged sword. If he responds, awesome! But if he gets this big break and drops it, that could be a Dolphins career killer for him.

The other young Dolphins receivers: I've told you for some time that the Dolphins wanted at least two young receivers to burst onto the scene this training camp. They now need that to happen because Johnson's departure opens a roster spot that demands filling by someone deserving of being on an NFL roster. So Julius Priutt, B.J. Cunningham, Rishard Matthews and Jeff Fuller suddenly get a chance to win a roster spot that wasn't going to be there if Johnson stuck around. Time to step up.

And, of course, the Dolphins personnel department again: Whether it be adding Lee Evans, or Plaxico Burress or finding someone off waivers when players start getting cut, the department needs to add talent to Miami's wide receiver corps.

[Radio and TV note: I'll be on NFLAM on NFL Network at 6:35 a.m. today and on Mike and Mike on ESPN2 and ESPN radio at 8:30 a.m.]